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Quick Critiques for 2/25
There's no way that Randy and I can cover all of the material we have for review in full reviews, so these capsule reviews will offer some brief comments on other recent releases.
BATMAN #624
by Brian Azzarello & Eduardo Risso (DC Comics)
 I'll be honest... I found Azzarello's plot is surprisingly hazy at this penultimate point in the story arc. There's a cryptic quality to the dialogue that seems to beat around the bush when it comes to details in this unusual murder mystery. Despite that vagueness, though, I found myself drawn into this dark and bizarre world. "Broken City" is all about atmosphere. The plot is not king here. Azzarello and Risso have crafted a murky, frightening urban landscape of crime and cruelty, of danger and despair. The noir atmosphere that Risso establishes here is like an enticing undertow that pulls the readers in, immerses him in darkness and never lets go. Never has it been more clear how much Frank Miller's Batman work has inspired Risso's approach on this project. We ever catch a glimpse of characters who bear a striking resembles to the mutants from The Dark Knight Returns. 7/10
CAPER #5
by Judd Winick & John Severin (DC Comics)
 This isn't what I expected, but it's certainly a welcome surprise. Winick shifts the direction of the series radically, providing only a tangential link to the previous story arc. Winick offers up what could essentially be described as an episode of The Practice set in Hollywood in the 1970s. It's a fascinating story that lulls the reader into a false sense of security before slapping him in the face with the crime drama that serves as the story's foundation. John Severin's art serves it well. There's a softness to his work that suits the strong characterization and likeability factor in the first two thirds of the book. There's a gritty quality to his work as well, and that brings out the more mature and darker qualities of the story as well. Even if you missed the first four issues of this series, you'd be well advised to check out this new story arc. 10/10
LOSERS #9
by Andy Diggle & Jock (DC Comics/Vertigo imprint)
 I enjoyed the previous two-part story arc, "Downtime," as it allowed us to get to know these characters on a much more personal level. I have to admit, though, that this new issue -- launching a new story arc: "Island Life" -- was mcuh stronger with the return of the caper riff. Diggle's plotting here maintains a freshness to that emphasis in the plotting. The description of their mission and their execution is full of action, fun and wit. Jensen continues to shine as my favorite character. He's savvy and resourceful, but his appeal lies in his proclivity to screw up. He brings not only comic relief to the team but an important quality of human fallibility. Jock's dark, angular art continues to impress. His style -- a cross between Charlie Adlard and Sean Phillips -- boasts a cinematic quality even though a good deal of the visuals are immersed in tension-enhancing shadows. 9/10
VENOM #11
by Daniel Way, Francisco Herrera & Carlos Cuevas
(Marvel Comics/Tsunami imprint)
 Way launches a new story arc, promising to explain how the Venom we know from the Spider-Man books is connected with the entity that serves as the title character for this series. Way doesn't bring the new Venom characters into the story at all in this first chapter, which leads me to believe that his explanation is going to be lengthy and convoluted. This issue is spent entirely in flashback, taking the reader back two years to a time when the Fantastic Four captured the Eddie Brock/Venom being before he could kill a certain wallcrawler. The Fantastic Four come off as far too snotty here, and a key story element here is a plot device -- actually, literally hundreds of plot devices -- that boast a far too coincidental link to the alien symbiote. This issue also marks the return of penciller Francisco Herrera. His work here is almost indistinguishable from that of Humberto Ramos's pencils on this week's Spectacular Spider-Man. The one aspect of the art I did enjoy, though, was Herrera's take on the Thing. It's quite different from what we're used to, and it captures the character's power and gruff side quite well. 3/10
Email Don MacPherson with your comments about this review.
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